Real-Life Communication
You are an architectural color designer. You are meeting with Mrs. Whitfield, a potential client, this morning. You've spoken briefly on the phone with her and have agreed to visit her home and try and recommend a color scheme.
As you drive into Mrs. Whitfield's neighborhood, you take note of the other homes so you know which styles and colors are popular in the area. You've found from past experience that the more you know about the neighborhood, the easier it is to communicate with your client.
Just ahead, you notice a house that can't help but stand out from the rest. It's a horrible pinky purple color and you can honestly say you've never seen anything quite like it. As you slow down to look at the house numbers, you discover that the Easter egg house is the address you're looking for.
As you pull into the driveway, you have a feeling that this call might take longer than the hour you would normally spend.
As Mrs. Whitfield welcomes you into her home, you quickly realize that the first question you always ask, "What is your favorite color?" might be a difficult one for her to answer. From the front entrance, you can see about six different colors, none of which complement the others.
"I think my house is ready for a change," says Mrs. Whitfield. "What do you think?"
"Change is always good," you answer with a smile.
You walk over to the kitchen table and spread your color palettes out. While you're organizing your samples, Mrs. Whitfield excuses herself for just a moment. You almost panic right there in the kitchen.
Normally you'd try and find out the client's favorite colors, least favorite colors, decorating ideas and anything else that helps you help them choose the colors they like. But Mrs. Whitfield isn't your typical client. In fact, you're not quite sure where to even begin.
Mrs. Whitfield returns to the kitchen and begins looking at the color samples. "I like so many colors, it's hard to know which one I like best," says Mrs. Whitfield, who seems rather upset.
"That's why my house is so colorful. I couldn't decide which colors I liked, so I decided to try them all. Unfortunately, my daughter hates it and says I don't have an eye for color. She says I should have hired a professional, which is why you're here now."
Smiling, you motion Mrs. Whitfield to sit down. You realize she might not be so difficult to work with after all. "Let's take a look at the color samples and I'm sure you'll find you like some better than others. I can give you a few hints along the way and together we should be able to come up with a color scheme that works."
Mrs. Whitfield sits down and seems to relax. "Now, before we begin choosing colors, I'm going to ask you a few questions so we get off to a good start."
What kinds of questions would you ask Mrs. Whitfield so you can help her choose a color scheme she'll be happy with? Remember that most people have favorite colors, least favorite colors and an idea how they want their home to look once it's finished.